Shoe shine kit



Nov. 29, 1960 J. H. MAYFORTH SHOE SHINE KIT Filed Aug. 20, 1958 INVENTOR. JOHN H. MAYFORTH ATTORNEY i' Patented'Nov. 29, 4196i),`

2,961,684 Y SHOE sHnvE Krr John H. Mayforth, 221-09 `100th Drive,

l Queens Village, NX.

Filed Aug. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 756,139

4 Claims. (Cl. 15265) This invention relates to what are generally referred to as shoe shine kits employing a shoe supporting stand, having a non-slip tread. More particularly, the invention deals with a structure of the character described, wherein the stand comprises top and bottom wal-ls, joined by crossed bracing walls dividing the stand into four corner compartments.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a structure of the character described, wherein edges of said crossed walls terminate in alinement with peripheral edges of the bottom wall and, further, wherein a flexible plastic or other apron is fixed to peripheral edges of the crossed walls adjacent, but spaced, from said bottom wall to form a retaining element for retaining brushes, polish and other equipment to a kit of this type and kind against displacement from the compartments of the kit. t

Further, the invention deals with a device of the vcharacter described, having means for Anormally enveloping or housing the kit when not in use,44 whichv means can be extended to form a floor covering around the periphery of the kit in the operation of polishing shoes, said covering being detachable with respect to the kit.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the kit, including its ilexible housing in normal storage or carrying position.

Fig` 2 is a plan view of the structure, as shown in Fig. l, with part of the covering extended over a floor surface and with part of the construction broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 showing the kit in side elevation; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View illustrating one of the corner attachments of the iloor covering sheet to the kit.

In practice, the framework of the kit comprises an oblong rectangular bottom wall 10, to which is fixed in any desired manner a forwardly and backwardly extending supporting wall 11, end edges 12 of which are in alinement with the adjacent surfaces of the bottom wall 10, as clearly noted in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Also fixed to the bottom wall is another supporting wall 13, which crosses and interts with the wall 11 and extends to the sides of the bottom 10, the upper end of the wall 13 having its sides contracted to be flush with sides 14 of a top wall 15; whereas, the lower portions extend outwardly to bring their edges in alinement with the sides of the bottom wall 10, similar to the alinement, as at 12. The lower portions 16 of the wall 13 maintain this alinement so as to provide perpendicularly straight surfaces, to which the article retaining band or apron 17 is attached by use of reinforcing strips 18 and similar strips are utilized on the edges of the wall 11, as clearly noted .in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Suitable fasteners, as `at 19, are employed to secur the strips 18, as well as the apron 17 in position. The Iapron 17 is made of a loop of flexible material and, for example, a loop of plastic material can be employed and preferably of a diameter to formsubstantially rectangular compartments 20, 21, 22and 23 at the four corner portions of the bottom wall 10 in which various shoe polishing equipment, such as brushes, cans, bottles or other containers, polishing cloths or the like can be arranged.

It will appear, from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the wall 13 is olset so as to form two large compartments 20, 21 and two smaller compartments 22 and 23.

It will also be noted, from a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawing, that the lower edge of the apron is spaced from the bottom wall 10, the apron extending vertically a sufficient height to provide a sturdy support for the various articles mentioned heretofore.

It will appear, from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the top Wall 15 is of the irregular contour, in other words, has a contracted or relatively pointed end 24 and a Wide portion 25, adapted to receive the ball of the foot and disposed substantially over intersections of the walls 11 and 13. 'Ille rear portion of the wall 15 is contracted, as seen at 26, thus providing ample clearance for operation of the brushes and polishing cloths in the operation of cleaning a pair of shoes. It is preferred that the top wall be covered witha thin layer of rubber or similar material 27 forming a tread, which will prevent slippage of the shoe when arranged upon the device. n I also employ, in conjunction with the kit, a combinationgcovr or carrier and floor covering 28, preferably ini-the form of a substantially circularsheet of plastic' material, which sheet is reinforced by parallel reinforcing straps 29 cemented or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the sheet, the strap ends being joined by other reinforcing straps, one of which is indicated at 30 in Fig. l of the drawing, and these strap ends have suitable fasteners, such as snap fasteners, as indicated at 31, to join the straps 30.

Fixed to the end portions of the straps 29, adjacent the straps 30, are ber or other strips 32 secured in position by grommets or the like 33 which form means for attaching carrying cords therewith, one of which cords is indicated at 34 in Fig. l of the drawing.

The opposed side portions or, in other Words', portions of 28 arranged at right angles to the straps 29, can be secured together and arranged within the upper contracted end of the cover and carrier, but the details of this are not shown, as it forms no direct part of the present invention.

Also fixed to the straps 29 and the sheet 28 to register with corner portions of the bottom wall 10, as noted in Fig. 2, are grommets 35, diagrammatically illustrated by the dotted lines at 35 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Considering Fig. 4, it will appear that the grommets are fixed to the straps 29, one of which is shown in said figure. Secured to the bottom wall 10 for registration with the four grommets 35 are headed screws 36, with the heads of which are detachably coupled female snap fastener elements 37, to which are secured plastic or other pull tabs 38. The devices 37 are actually in the form of buttons which form supporting legs for the kit when the kit is in use and, when in use, the sheet 28 is extended over the oor surface, upon which the kit is arranged to provide a protective covering to the oor during the shoe polishing operation. Whenever desired, the devices 37 can be removed and the cover and protective sheet 28 detached from the kit for cleansing or other purposes.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A kit of the character described, comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a top wall of irregular contour, a pair of thin wall members, said members being crossed at right angles intermediate side edges thereof and arranged between and ixed to said top and bottom walls, arrangement of the ,crossed walls one with respect to the other and the bottom wall being such as to form, between the top and bottom walls, large front and smaller rear `corner compartments, means comprising a iexible annular element fixed to outer side edges of the crossed walls to form an article retainer for articles supported in all of said compartments, said element being in the form of a wide band, the lower edge of said band being spaced above the upper surface of the bottom wall of said kit, and said top wall having a non-slip facing attached thereto.

2. A kit of the character described, comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a top wall of irregular contour, a pair of thin wall members, said members being crossed at right angles intermediate side edges thereof and arranged between and fixed to said top and bottom walls, arrangement of the crossed walls one with respect to the other and the bottom wall being such as to form, between the top and bottom walls, large front and smaller rear corner compartments, means comprising a flexible annular element fixed to outer side edges of the crossed walls to form an article retainer for articles supported in all of said compartments, the bottom wall having headed members fixed to and projecting from the lower surface of corner portions of said wall, a sheet of exible material having grommets registering with the headed members of said bottom wall, and means detachable with respect to the heads of said members for retaining said sheet against displacement from the bottom wall.

3. A kit of the character described, comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a top wall of irregular contour, a

ranged between and tixed to said top and bottom walls, arrangement of the crossed walls one with respect to the other and the bottom wall being such as to form, between the top and bottom walls, large front and smaller rear corner compartments, means comprising a exible annular element iixed to outer side edges of the crossed walls to form an article retainer for articles supported in all of said compartments, the bottom wall having headed members fixed to and projecting from the lower surface of corner portions of said wall, a sheet of exible material having grommets registering with the headed members of said bottom wall, means detachable with respect to the heads of said members for retaining said sheet against displacement from the bottom wall, and said sheet having parallel reinforcing straps engaged by said grommets and extending onto opposed sides of said sheet.

4. A kit of the character described, comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a top wall of irregular contour, a pair of thin wall members, said members being crossed one directly upon the other at right angles intermediate side edges thereof and arranged between and iixed directly to said top and bottom walls, arrangement of the crossed walls one with respect to the other and the bottom wall being such as to form, between the top and bottom walls, large front and smaller rear corner compartments, and a wide annular band of exible material fixed to lower outer side edges of all of the crossed walls to form an article retainer for articles supported in all of said compartments.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 652,807 Overcashier July 3, 1900 1,135,326 Sakata Apr. 13, 1915 1,683,678 Kitterman Sept. 11, 1928 2,608,241 Doern Aug. 26, 1952 ,snab 

